The Commission establishes sentencing policies and practices for the federal courts. Each year, the Commission reviews and refines these policies in light of congressional action, decisions from courts of appeals, sentencing-related research, and input from the criminal justice community.

In this section, you can follow the Commission’s work through the amendment cycle as priorities are set, research is performed, testimony is heard, and amendments are adopted.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judicial branch that was created as part of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984. Commissioners are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee, and the Chair of the U.S. Parole Commission serve as ex officio, nonvoting members of the Commission.

In this section, learn about the Commission’s mission, structure, and ongoing work.

February 3, 2009

News Release

UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION TO HOLD
PUBLIC HEARING IN ATLANTA

Hearing Marks 25th Anniversary of Sentencing Reform Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 3, 2009) — The United States Sentencing Commission will hold in Atlanta on February 10-11, 2009, the first of a series of regional public hearings on federal sentencing policy. The Commission is holding these public hearings to gather feedback on federal sentencing practices and the operation of the federal sentencing guidelines.

The regional hearings coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 ("SRA"). The SRA established the Commission as an independent agency in the judicial branch of government and directed it to establish sentencing policies and practices for the federal criminal justice system, principally through the promulgation of federal sentencing guidelines. After holding a series of regional public hearings in 1986, publishing two drafts of sentencing guidelines for public comment, and receiving more than 1,000 letters and position papers from individuals and groups, the Commission submitted the initial set of sentencing guidelines to Congress in April 1987. After the requisite period of congressional review, the guidelines became effective on November 1, 1987. Since 1987, the guidelines have been amended more than 700 times and they have been used by federal courts to sentence more than one million defendants.

As directed by the SRA, the sentencing guidelines are designed to —

* incorporate the purposes of sentencing (i.e., just punishment, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation);

* provide certainty and fairness in meeting the purposes of sentencing by avoiding unwarranted disparity among offenders with similar characteristics convicted of similar criminal conduct, while permitting sufficient judicial flexibility to take in account relevant aggravating and mitigating factors; and

* reflect, to the extent practicable, advancement in the knowledge of human behavior as it relates to the criminal justice process.

At the hearings, the Commission expects to hear from a wide range of witnesses from across the nation, including the judiciary, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, community interest groups, sentencing experts, and others interested in federal sentencing. The Commission is interested in any suggestions regarding changes to the Sentencing Reform Act and other relevant statutes, the federal sentencing guidelines and policy statements, and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that, in the view of the witness, will further the statutory purposes of sentencing.

The hearing in Atlanta will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA. On February 10, it will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:45 p.m. On February 11, it will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude at 12:30 p.m. The agenda (with list of witnesses) for the hearing in Atlanta is available on the Commission’s web site at: www.ussc.gov. A schedule for subsequent, regional public hearings across the country will be forthcoming from the Commission.